The present application is directed toward systems and methods for calling party identification in communications networks. The systems and methods will be described in terms of calling party identification within mobile telephone networks. However, the disclosed systems and methods can be applied to other networks, such as, for example, land line or wire based telephone networks or where calls are placed between wired phone networks and mobile phone networks.
Currently available calling party identification services are often referred to as “Caller ID”. However, “Caller ID” is something of a misnomer. Instead of providing the identity of the calling party, currently available services provide information identifying the calling line being used by the calling party. Alternatively, the services or devices provide the called party with the name of the subscriber associated with the calling line. However, there is no assurance that the calling party is the subscriber. For example, the calling party may be a family member of the subscriber. Alternatively, a calling party may place a call from a borrowed phone or from a pay phone. In these instances, the calling party may be misidentified or not identified at all. Therefore, for example, the called party may inappropriately decide to not answer or otherwise screen a call based on the incorrect or nonexistent identification information.
Other instances where an identification associated with an actual calling party, is desirable, include, but are not limited to, small business and family applications, wherein, for example, one or more mobile phones are shared by a plurality of users. For instance, an administrative assistant may be able to anticipate the purpose of a call and retrieve an appropriate file before answering a call, if caller identification information correctly identifies which one of a plurality of possible company cell phone users is currently calling the desk of the assistant. In the household application, it may be anticipated that a call from a first child will be a request for transportation and is therefore, most appropriately answered by an older sibling or first parent, while a call identified as being from a second child may be anticipated as being related to a notification of an arrival time and therefore is appropriately answered by a second parent or perhaps the nearest family member to the phone.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a desire for methods and systems for providing true caller identification to a called party before the called party answers a call.